Ball blocking device for inclined runways



Nov. 18, 1952 A. DURANT BALL BLOCKING DEVICE FOR INCLINED RUNWAYS 2 SHEETS SHEET 1 Filed May 7 1948 IN V EN To R.

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Nov. 18, 1952 L. A. IIDURANT BALL BLOCKING DEVICE FOR INCLINED RUNWAYS Filed May 7, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

49/74/00 14. "Durant Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL BLOCKING DEVICE FOR INCLINED RUNWAYS Application May 7, 1948, Serial No. 25,743

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a ball blocking device for inclined runways has for its principal object the provision of an, improved construction of this characterwhich will be highly eiiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide in an amusement apparatus an electromagnetic ball-blocking means controlled either by a coin-controlled switch or by a circuit in which there is a hand-operated push button whereby the game apparatus may be initially conditioned by the operation of the coin-controlled switch and thereafter conditioned for re-play under certain conditions by the mere operation of a handoperated push button.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of an amusement game apparatus in which my invention is incorporated;

Fi 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ball-blocking means with parts thereof in extended relation with respect to each other;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail View similar to Fi 2,'but showing the parts thereof in different positions; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit embodied in the invention.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form of construction by which the several objects of my invention are accomplished.

The amusement game apparatus illustrated in Fig, 1, except as hereinafter pointed out, is of the conventional type. t includes a cabinet Ill having an inclined playboard it down which balls, projected by a projector 52 to the upper end of the board. are adapted to gravitate. This amusement game apparatus further includes a ball outlet pocket it into which spent balls are confined until released by movement in a conventional manner of a ball releasing bar [4. This bar M constitutes no part of the present invention and is of a well-known and conventional type.

Balls from the hall outlet it drop onto a track 555 which guides the gravitatin rolling balls to an elevating means (not shown). This elevating means raises the balls from the track [5 through an opening It to a pos tion indicated at H, he-

(Cl. 273l21) fore the projector [2. From this position the balls are projected through the runway l8 to the upper end portion of the board ll from whence the balls are adapted to gravitate downwardly toward the lower end of the board into the Outlet opening [3.

In the conventional amusement game apparatus there is mounted upon this board Ii one or more target switches hereinafter identified as 72 and it. These switches control an electric score registering circuit of a well-known type and now commonly in use. This circuit constitutes no part of the present invention and is therefore not illustrated.

To carry my invention into effect I provide a ball blocking device indicated generally at Hi. This blocking device includes a bracket 20 secured to the underside of the board H as at 2!. This bracket 23 carries an electromagnetic coil'22, the bore of which is disposed in alignment with an openin 23 formed in the board.

A U-shaped yoke is indicated at 24 and includes a finger 25 and an arm portion 26. The arm portion 25 extends through the opening 23 into the bore 27 of the coil '22 and is connected to a solenoid plunger 28. The yoke 24 is formed of n0n-magnetica1ly attractable material, while the plunger 28 is formed of the usual magnetically attractable material. 1 I

The finger 25 extends through an opening 29 formed in the board H in spaced parallel relation with the opening 23. The lower end portion 38 of this finger 25 projects into a position with respect to the track l5 where balls 3! will be blocked from rolling down this track [5 to a position to be elevated through the opening l6 onto the runway I8.

The plunger 23 normally rests upon a spring leaf 32 of a switch unit 33. This switch unit 33 is carried by a bracket 34 secured to the underside of the board H as at 35 by means of wood screws or the like.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a circuit control for the ball-blocking device [9.

In this connection a power unit comprising a transformer is indicated at 36. The secondary side 3'! of this transformer has connection with the main conductors 38 and 38'.

In this circuit is a relay switch 39, one side 40 of which is connected by a conductor 4| to the main conductor 38. The other side of this relay switch is connected by a conductor 4| to one side of the game conditioning circuit 42. The other side oi the game conditioning circuit 4; is connected by a conductor 43 to the main conductor 38. This game conditioning circuit is of a well-known construction and includes a freeplay step-up unit 44. The relay switch 39 is controlled by the electromagnetic coil 45. One side of this coil 45 is connected by conductor 46' to one of the switch contacts 45 of the switch unit 33. The other side of this coil 45 has connection with one side 41 of a switch 48 by means of a conductor 49. The spring leaf 32 of the switch unit 33 is connected by a conductor 49' to the main conductor 38. The other side 50 of the switch 48 is connected to the conductor 38 by a. conductor The switch 48 is adapted to be controlled by a coin slide 52 which includes a slide bar 53. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide 52, the slide bar 53 is released for movement to close the switch 48. Closing of this switch '48 will complete a circuit to the coil 45 through the conductor 51,49, 45 and 49'. 45 is energized, the switch 39 is closed to complete the circuit to the game conditioning circuit 42, whereby the game is conditioned for play.

A relay switch is indicated at 54. One side 55 of this switch 54 is connected by a conductor 56 to a switch contact 51 of the switch unit 33. The other side 58 of the switch 54 is connected by conductor 59 to the conductor 38. The conductor 58 is connected to one side of the coil 22 by conductor 80. The other side of this coil 22 is connected by conductor 6| to one side 52 of a relay switch 63. The other side of this switch 63 is connected by conductor 54 to the conductor 33. The switch 54 is controlled by a magnetic coil 55. One side of this coil 65 is connected by the conductor 66 to the conductor 38. The other side of this coil 65 is connected by the conductor 61 to the conductor 49 between the coil 45 and the side 41 of the switch 48.

The switch 83 is controlled by the electromagnetic coil 68. One side of this coil is connected by conductor 69 to the conductor 38. The other side is connected to a switch contact of a ballactuated switch 12 by conductor H. The other side of this ball-actuated switch 12 is connected by conductor I3 to the conductor 38. This ballactuated switch is constructed and operates substantially the same as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,184,868.

The conductor H has connection by a branch conductor 14 to one sid of a ball roll-over switch 16. The other side of this switch 76 is connected by conductor 11 to conductor 38. This roll-over switch is of a well-known type and may be of the structure shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,202,097.

An anti-tilt switch is indicated at 1'8. One side 19 of this switch is connected by conductor 80 to the conductor 1 l. The other side of this switch isconnected by conductor 8| to the conductor 38.

r The arrangement is such that upon energization of the electromagnet 45, the coil 85 will be energized-to close the switch 54, whereupon a circuit will be set up to energize the coil 22. Upon energization of this coil 22, the ball-blocking yoke 24 will be elevated to move the finger from ballblockingposition, permitting the balls 3| to roll down the track l5. This movement of the yoke 24 will break contact between the switch contacts Hand 46 and make contact between the switch contacts 32 and 51, thereby connecting the coil 22 directly in circuit with the conductors 38 and 38 through conductors 49, 60, GI and 34. While thus in circuit, the coil 22 will effectively hold the yoke 24 from ball-blocking position.

When this coil d As soon as either of the switches 12 or 16 is closed by action of a ball rolling down the board II (of which switches there may be and generally are several mounted on the playboard I I), the coil 68 will become energized to open the switch 63, thereupon to deenergize the coil 22, permitting the yoke 24 to drop into ball-blocking position and again bringing into contact the switch contacts 32 and 46. The yoke 24 remains in this position until the switch 48 is again closed by the slide 53 whereupon the foregoing operation is repeated.

As heretofore pointed out, the game conditioning circuit includes a free-play step-up unit 44, which includes the ratchet 82. This free-play unit is of a well-known construction, and for fur ther information as to its operation reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 2,281,262. This ratchet wheel 82 carries a pin 83 which, when the game apparatus is not conditioned for a freeplay, engages one side 84 of a switch 85 to hold the switch in open position. This side 84 of the switch 85 is connected by conductor 86 to the conductor 38'. The other side of this switch 85 is connected by conductor 81 to one side 88 of a push button switch 89. The other side of this push button switch 89 is connected by conductor 98 to the conductor 49 between the coil 45 and the side 4'. of the switch 48.

When the game apparatus is conditioned for a free play in a manner well-known in the art, the ratchet wheel 82 will be moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, thus moving the pin 83 from engagement with the side 84 of the switch 85, permitting the switch 85 to be closed. A circuit will then be set up so that the coil 45 may be energized by merely closing the push button switch 89. In other words, when this condition exists, :the game may be conditioned for a free play without employment of a coin and without the necessity of operating the coin slide 53.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided in an amusement game apparatus a circuit for controlling the conditioning of the apparatus for play, first, by the operation of a coin slide and thereafter, under certain conditions, by the operation of a hand-operated push button. It will be understood that these certain conditions will be effective only whenever the game apparatus is conditioned for giving a free play, which is accomplished in a manner well-known in the art by the player obtaining a certain score.

In the event that the game apparatus is tilted, the anti-tilt switch 18 will be closed, thereby to energize the coil 88 and to deenergize the coil 22 by the opening of the switch 63. This deenergization of the coil 22 permits the ball-blocking member 24 to automatically drop into ball-blocking position and to condition the game apparatus for further play only upon another operation of either the coin slide switch 48 or push button switch 89.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for blocking a ball in a runway located beneath an inclined game board comprising an electromagnetic coil secured to said board on the underside thereof, said board having a pair of spaced openings one of which being located above said runway, a solenoid plunger operatively related to said coil, a yoke formed substantially U-shaped to provide parallel arms projecting through said openings with one of said arms extending through said one of the openings into said runway to block a ball therein, the other of said arms being attached to and movable with said plunger, and an electric circuit for controlling energization of said coil to move said plunger in a direction with respect thereto to dispose the first-mentioned arm from ball blocking position with respect to said runway.

2. A device for blocking a ball in a runway located beneath an inclined game board comprising an electromagnetic coil secured to said board on the underside thereof, said board having a pair of spaced openings one of which being located above said runway, a solenoid plunger operatively related to said coil, a yoke formed substantially U-shaped to provide parallel arms projecting through said openings with one of said arms extending through said one of the opening into said runway to block a ball therein, the other of said arms being attached to and movable with said plunger, and an electric circuit for controlling energization of said coil to move said plunger in a direction with respect thereto to dispose the first-mentioned arm from ball blocking position with respect to said runway, said circuit including a control switch, a member of which extends beneath the plunger for engagement therewith when said first-mentioned arm is in said ball blocking position with respect to said runway.

LYNDON A. DURANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,127,261 Kramer et al Aug. 16, 1938 2,296,548 Williams et al. Sept. 22, 1942 2,479,707 Durant Aug. 23, 1949 

